Expert answer

Hi John,

At 10k miles a year, to be honest, you’d be better off going for a petrol model as you’re just not going to get the fuel savings out of a diesel to justify the extra cost, plus you might be running into issues with exhaust filters. Of the two cars, the BMW is without question the nicer to drive, and it has a fractionally more spacious interior than that of the Audi. The Audi is seriously well-made though, so from a reliability point of view, we’d probably give that one the nod. Just make sure you buy one with a full, preferably main dealer, service history.

Expert answer

Hi Tom,

The front-wheel drive only Yeti 2.0 TDI returns 52.3mpg (5.4 litres/100km). The four-wheel drive version returns 46.3mpg (6.1 litres/100km).

The Yeti is one of those cars in which it's possible to get close to the official figures - especially on the open road and the motorway.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Eoin,

Have you tried the new Peugeot 3008? Great-looking, good to drive and comes with an (optional) six-speed auto. The 1.2-litre 130hp petrol turbo engine is the one to go for. Alternatively, you could try and grab a run-out Skoda Yeti (always one of our favourites and built like a tank), or have a look at the Toyota C-HR Hybrid, which is striking to look at and really good to drive. Here are our relevant reviews:

Peugeot 3008 review

Skoda Yeti review

Toyota C-HR Hybrid review

Expert answer

Hi Joe,

They’re pretty reliable, the old Pajero Junior, but bear in mind that that’s now a 22-year-old car, so it’s likely to be running into all sorts of wear and tear problems. You’ll basically need to check everything, and if the car you’re looking at has no NCT, be especially wary. Fuel economy’s not great — it’s a relatively heavy, boxy body being propelled by a small, low-tech engine so expect less than 30mpg on average.

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Hi Bob,

The Fabia is a pretty rugged car, but obviously with this one being 16 years old now, you’ll need to thoroughly check it all over. Common failure points are fuel pumps, water temperature sensors and water pumps, rattling dashboards, clutch master cylinders, leaking rear doors and dashboard lights. Economy should work out in the low-forties, in terms of miles per gallon, depending on how and where you drive it.

Generally, I’d say it’s an excellent first car — easy to drive, roomy and robust. 

Expert answer

Hi Biju,

Official fuel economy for a 2008 1.4 D-4D Toyota Corolla stood at 56mpg. If the car has been well cared for since, I’d say you could expect to get around 45mpg in daily motoring from one.

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Hi Martina,

We're assuming you are referring to the post-2008 Focus here, so correct us if not. The 1.6-litre models are up to 10mpg more efficient and generally have much lower emissions too to help reduce your annual tax bill.

Be aware that the 1.6 TDCi engine only had issues from 2004 until about 2008. Cars/engines made after that date should be just as reliable as the 1.8-litre.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Helen,

An old RAV4 will be pretty thirsty, to be honest. Official fuel economy for the 1.8 petrol model, from 2004, was 38mpg, and around town I’d expect it to do not much better than 28mpg. The 2.0 diesel version is only 1mpg better off on the official figures, so don’t expect miracles from one of those either.

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

As is so often the case, the best answer here is ‘get a Golf.’ Or possibly a Passat. Or maybe a Volvo S80 1.6d. Any of those, if you can find them with a full service history, would fit the bill rather nicely. The Volvo is a great choice actually — comfy like an armchair, and can go 1,500km on a full tank of diesel. The Golf is probably the best value option — get one cheap, with the old 1.9 'Pump Duse' TDI diesel engine, and it’ll sit on the motorway doing 50mpg all day long, and it’ll be comfy too.

Expert answer

Hi Pat,

It does. The 1.5-litre dCi diesel model will do an easy 50mpg on average, as long as you don’t drive it like you stole it. The 4x4 version is a little thirstier, maybe more like 40-45mpg.